The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to sanction members engaged in litigation against the party. APC stated that taking the party to court was against the constitution of the party and attracts disciplinary actions against such members. Consequently, the NWC asked members of the party that took the party to court to withdraw such cases.
The party stated that Article 20, Subsection 10 of APC’s constitution stipulates offences against the party to include: Filing an action in a court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matter relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting all avenues for redress provided for in this constitution.”
Some members of APC who are in court against the party for different reasons are: Chief Uche Nwosu, Imo State governorship aspirant; Senator Hope Uzodinma, Imo State governorship candidate; Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. Usani Usani; Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu; Senator Kabiru Marafa from Zamfara; Chief Emhor O’tega of Delta State chapter; some party members in Edo and Ondo state
APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the party frowned at the actions of some party members who have resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism.
He said: “This growing trend is viewed by the party as a manifest indiscipline. The actions, it should be noted, is considered as antiparty as it goes against our party’s constitution. “The party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt the party’s interest.
“We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes. “In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has just put in place.
“APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules. “We therefore advise such members to take this warning very seriously as failure to comply with the party’s dispute resolution procedures would be met with the stipulated disciplinary actions.”
